A cable, as the term is used herein, comprises a bundle of electrically conductive wires wrapped inside a protective jacket of rubber or plastic. Such a cable is employed where, for example, a number of electrical connections need to be made between a power source and various electronics. A single large cable running from the power source to the electronics is far easier to handle than a number of small independent wires. Also, the jacket helps protect the wires against inadvertent breakage, etc.
It will be understood that such cables are produced in very long lengths. The long cable lengths are cut into the desired shorter lengths and a portion of the ends of the short lengths have the jacket removed so as to expose the individual conductor ends to enable connection.
Particularly in an automated assembly line type operation where lengths of cable are connected by the hundreds of thousands to the electronics as being assembled, the tedious manual removal of the end portions of the jackets is time consuming, subject to diverse inaccuracies and accordingly undesireable.
The process used for stripping the jacket end is quite basic. The jacket is scored by cutting around the cable circumference and then the jacket is slit from the circular cut to the end. If properly scored, the jacket end can be readily stripped or peeled away from the cable.
The problem encountered with this process concerns the need to rapidly remove these jacket ends while taking care to avoid cutting through the jacket and into the conductive wires. If a cut is made that severs or nicks the insulation of a wire, an electrical short may result and substantial damage can be caused to the electronics to which the cable is connected.
A number of attempts have been made to develop an automated tool or machine that will accomplish the desired control for scoring the jacket to enable stripping. Commonly, such a tool includes a blade holder that follows generally a circular or linear path depending on whether the cut is being made around the cable or along its length. Such tools are acceptable for cable strips that are truly circular or linear in configuration. However, many, if not most, cables are not truly round and the jackets outer configuration undulates through peaks and valleys. The blade, which cuts to a specific depth from the path of the blade holder, will accordingly cut too shallow as the tool holder passes over the valleys or if set to accommodate the valleys, too deep as the tool holder passes over the peaks. Such tools have been found generally unsatisfactory for automated stripping of cables.